Business Strategy or Brand Strategy?

[et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”3.0.47″ custom_padding=”0|0px|0|0px|true|false”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” custom_padding=”0|0px|27px|0px|false|false” _builder_version=”3.0.48″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.17.2″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”] The Power of Aligning Your Business Strategy and Your Brand. In developing business strategies executives often focus on key metrics related to growth, personnel, and finances. Obviously, these are critical to a company’s survival in today’s complex business environment.…

Read More

Flying Dogs and Electric Cars – How brand value is shaped by our emotional connections

[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”3.0.47″ custom_padding=”0|0px|0|0px|false|false”][et_pb_row custom_padding=”0|0px|27px|0px|false|false” admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”3.0.48″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.0.47″ parallax=”off” parallax_method=”on”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.17.2″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”] Baily loves great dog treats Although we believe we make good choices based on rational thinking, most everything we react to is based on emotional perceptions. These emotions are more powerful than we think. They shape what brands…

Read More

You will do well to expand your horizons

[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”3.0.47″ custom_padding=”1px|0px|29.7031px|0px|false|false”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”3.0.48″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.0.47″ parallax=”off” parallax_method=”on”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” _builder_version=”3.0.74″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”] Simple technology shifts change markets and challenge brands You will do well to expand your horizons. This phrase came from a fortune cookie. A simple statement that says a lot about how we view our world,…

Read More

11 Rules for Shaking up the World – a Guide for Startups, Non-Profits & Business Revolutionaries

[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”3.0.47″ custom_padding=”30.4531px|0px|0|0px|false|false”][et_pb_row custom_padding=”0|0px|15.2188px|0px|false|false” admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”3.0.48″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.0.47″ parallax=”off” parallax_method=”on”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” _builder_version=”3.0.74″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”] Having a really great idea is not enough to build a company. During my work in advising startups on marketing and brand strategy, I’ve observed some basic issues almost every startup faces. Here’s my take on…

Read More

Four Things To Fix at Uber—and None of Them were the CEO

Now that the CEO of Uber is out, maybe the company can actually pay attention to what matters to brands: the customers. Brands grow, create loyalty, and stay ahead of the competition by paying attention to how consumers experience and value the brand. Understanding these costumer relationships is the most critical element in how brands…

Read More

Forget Brand Loyalty: Brand Experience Is How Consumers Connect

We make consumer choices constantly. When you go to a great restaurant, or a happening urban center like Oakland’s UpTown, or even Home Depot, what you remember is the experience. It’s how our minds work. The choreography of the interaction sets consumers up for a great time, disappointment, or sometimes plain confusion. We remember and…

Read More

Marketing to Millennials: It’s Not What You Think

What’s the spin on millennials? How do you market to them? They don’t seem to like advertising or being “sold to.” Well, does anyone? When you’ve grown up in a world where the technology is always on, where you control your newsfeed and media, you ignore content that’s broadcast at you. They are a much more sophisticated…

Read More

Ask a 10-year-old what your brand is about

I was driving my 10 year old son to school one day when he piped up and said that MacDonalds was a company that sold crappy food that made people unhealthy. I asked him why. He said that’s what everyone at school says—his friends, teachers, everybody. You see, we don’t go to MacDonalds, but he still has…

Read More